CRC and RCA to Collaborate with Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

A collaborative effort between Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, the Christian Reformed Church, the Reformed Church in America and their seminaries will focus on a Pine Rest education program which has been providing clinical pastoral education (CPE) for 45 years.

The accredited program at the hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich. helps pastors and seminarians develop pastoral care skills, self-awareness, and spiritual leadership. This project has many goals, but improved denominational collaboration is the main objective of this program, which is funded by a grant from The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation.

“Pine Rest was started by the shared work of faithful members of the Reformed Church of America and the Christian Reformed Church, a work that has blessed our community for over 100 years,” says Mark Eastburg, president & CEO of Pine Rest.

 Pine Rest will expand the CPE program by offering training to more individuals from RCA and CRC churches. The CPE group interaction will build connections between the participants that will yield denominational collaboration as they continue in ministry.

“Our denominations have agreed that our guiding principles and motivating intentions should be to work together in ministry as much as possible,” says Dr. Steven Timmermans, executive director of the Christian Reformed Church.

“This project is evidence of our desire for collaboration, bringing new opportunities to those preparing for ministry and renewal to those already in ministry, all for the benefit of those needing expert pastoral care in our hurting world.”

A total of 90 individuals will receive scholarships for this collaborative training over the five-year grant-funded program:  60 pastors/candidates will participate in congregational CPE and 30 students will receive seminary or post-seminary CPE training.

“The Reformed Church has been blessed by the collaborative efforts that we’ve already experienced with the Christian Reformed Church and we are eager to not only continue but increase this work together,” says Rev. Tom DeVries, general secretary of the RCA.

 “We share so much history and culture, but more importantly, we share a passion to work outside the walls of our churches to reach our communities and a broken world that is so loved by God. We do this better when we partner with our sisters and brothers of the CRC.”

This grant will help Pine Rest provide CPE lectures, group sharing, and personal supervision through technology via a digital platform.

On-site supervision will be provided by Pine Rest CPE supervisors during three weekend retreats. CRC and RCA denominations and seminaries will provide resources these groups can use such as leadership development materials, guest speakers, and expertise in specific congregational ministry issues.

The program will give priority to up to six additional students per year from Calvin Theological Seminary, Western Theological Seminary, New Brunswick Theological Seminary and the Ministerial Formation Certification Agency (MFCA) in its current CPE program.

The summer between seminary graduation and entering a first call is a prime opportunity for new ministers to put the finishing touches on ministry preparation.

“The challenges of ministry continue to change, and it is not unusual for pastors to discover they lack not only the tools to be present to others in their personal and spiritual journeys, they also lack the self-awareness to avoid a defensive posture of narcissistic behavior that harms, rather than heals others,” says Cornelis Kors, executive director of the ministerial formation certification agency for the RCA.

“CPE has the capacity to assist pastoral leaders in processing these challenges and supporting them in developing healthy patterns of knowing oneself and others.”

The Rev. Karl VanHarn, Pine Rest director of pastoral services and clinical pastoral education, will coordinate the program. He will work with the directors of candidacy, seminary contact persons, and local pastors to oversee this program and manage the grant.

As Van Harn works with pastors and learns about barriers to friendships and partnerships among churches, he says he will consult with appropriate parties to lower relationship barriers, resolve conflicts, and address issues that divide people, so that churches and pastors can come together over a common faith and serve a common mission in their community.

“It (the program) fits wonderfully with a new initiative in the CRC to encourage continuing education for pastors and it also provides a wonderful platform for deeper relationships between CRC and RCA pastors and candidates as they learn and grow together,” says Dave Koll, director of candidacy for the CRC.